I don’t know if any of you ever give it a thought, but it is pretty cool to be in a church where we sing both older and newer songs together in the same service. (Old is such a subjective term, isn’t it?) The official term is blended worship, but it’s all just worship to me. Old, new, traditional, contemporary – if the words come from Scripture and the music is solid, I’m in!  This Sunday we will sing a song together that saints have sung in worship since the early 1900s, which is pretty amazing. That’s around 125 years! The lyrics were written by Henry Jackson van Dyke in 1907, but the music is even older – composed by Beethoven between 1822 and 1824 as part of the final movement of his Symphony No. 9 in D minor (Op. 125). Pretty cool, right?

Reverend van Dyke was the pastor of a Presbyterian Church in New York City at one time, and he was invited to preach at Williams College in Massachusetts. It was while he was there that he penned the lyrics to Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee and gave them to the college president at breakfast one morning. Reportedly he said, “Here is a hymn for you. Your mountains were my inspiration. It must be sung to the music of Beethoven’s ‘Hymn of Joy.’”

Singing a song with history like this one reminds me of Hebrews 12:1-2:  

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

As long as the Church has existed the saints have been singing songs of worship together. In homes, in houses, in secret places underground and great cathedrals God’s people have been singing His praises together since Pentecost. I think there is power in that continuity. I believe God created His Church to strengthen one another, and I think that takes place when we sing together in worship. Herr Beethoven and Pastor van Dyke and many of the saints past might not recognize some of our songs today, but they would recognize the worship because it hasn’t changed. Whether we’re in a school, a movie theater, an industrial complex, or an actual sanctuary, the worship continues. We sing and remember what we believe and declare it together (musically) with certainty and confidence. Those times of worship encourage us – and the music sticks with us – and both are used by God between gatherings to strengthen us and keep His Word fresh in our minds. 

See you all on Sunday for worship!

Careen